Pharmacists to get more responsibilities in Illinois

A new law makes sweeping changes to how pharmacists can serve their customers in Illinois.

Dana Heupel

A new law makes sweeping changes to how pharmacists can serve their customers in Illinois.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed the revisions of the Illinois Pharmacy Practice Act in late October -- the first time the law has been updated since 1987.

“The changes in this law make it easier for pharmacists to provide the professional services we need to improve our health,” Blagojevich said at that time in a written statement.

The new provisions would:

* Increase pharmacists’ authority to modify patient prescriptions, with the cooperation of a physician. For instance, a pharmacist might increase the dosage of an oral medication for a diabetes patient whose blood sugar is too high and then notify the patient’s physician. The pharmacist still is not allowed to diagnose an illness or initiate a treatment, said Mike Patton, executive director of the Illinois Pharmacists Association.

*Expand the ability of pharmacists to work with physicians to provide immunizations and medication management therapy and to adapt to changing technology.

Pharmacists and physicians who work closely together would have to have a signed agreement, Patton said, which would be reviewed by the state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

*Change rules that stipulate a minimum number of hours for pharmacies to be open. For instance, Patton said, the old rules say pharmacies must be open at least 40 hours per week, but that might not be financially viable in a small rural town. However, a store in a larger nearby city might be able to operate a satellite branch in the small town several days a week so patients there wouldn’t have to travel to fill their prescriptions.

*Update licensing requirements for pharmacy technicians. Under the new law, technicians still can be as young as 16, but they must become certified under national standards within two years.

*Eliminate rules that required two or more pharmacies in the same location to have separate licenses and separate pharmacists-in-charge. A hospital might have separate pharmacies for inpatients and outpatients, for instance. Now the pharmacies won’t need two licenses and separate pharmacists-in-charge, Patton said.

*Permit retail pharmacies to have stand-alone kiosks, where patients could pick up prescriptions without waiting to see a pharmacist. Those with questions could talk to a pharmacist by phone or online.

*Establish guidelines to allow prescriptions to be dispensed remotely. Rural hospitals, for instance, could contract with outside sources to have pharmacists at off-site locations review medications.

The previous law had become archaic, Patton said, “and in some ways, it’s been prohibitive in enhancing greater access to health care.”

Before pharmacists can provide the expanded responsibilities, he said, many will need additional training.

One factor not addressed under the new law are rules governing pharmacists dispensing the Plan B emergency contraceptive, often labeled the “morning-after pill.” A separate settlement between the state and Walgreens would require pharmacies to dispense the prescription contraceptive, but would allow individual pharmacists who are morally opposed to it to opt out of the process.

However, Patton said, the settlement pertains only to Plan B prescriptions. It doesn’t cover over-the-counter sales, which now are legal.

He said questions remain over whether pharmacies must carry Plan B in their inventories, and whom a patient would talk to if she has a question about a Plan B order that was processed remotely.

The new law went into effect with the governor’s Oct. 29 signature, Patton said. It will expire in 10 years. Some loose ends still need to be tied up, he said.

For example, the new law does not contain a fee structure for pharmacist and pharmacy licenses, Patton said. The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation will have to invoke emergency rules to establish them before March 31, when the current licenses expire.